Georgian leader poised for election win

TBILISI, Georgia - President Mikhail Saakashvili appeared poised for an election victory on Saturday, according to early exit poll results in this former Soviet republic where the former hero of democracy now faces accusations of authoritarian leanings.An exit poll showed President Mikhail Saakashvili winning Saturday's election with 53.8 percent. He needs an absolute majority needed to avoid a runoff election in two weeks. The exit poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.The U.S.-educated Saakashvili led mass street protests that ousted a Communist-era veteran from power following fraudulent elections in late 2003. He won a January 2004 election with more than 96 percent of the vote and set out to transform the bankrupt country into a modern European state.Now the Rose Revolution hero, who was much lauded in the West, is fighting to stay in office amid opponents' claims that he has ignored the needs of the poor and shown a tendency toward authoritarianism.The head of an international election monitoring mission said about two hours before the polls were to close that the election to that point appeared to be fair."From what we're seeing now ... there does not appear to be anything to suggest there is an election being stolen," said Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Florida Democrat heading a mission sent by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.In November, many Georgians were angered after police violently dispersed peaceful demonstrations and Saakashvili imposed a state of emergency that included banning independent TV news broadcasts. The crackdown called into question Saakashvili's commitment to democracy. Saakashvili defused the crisis by calling an early election, cutting short his own five-year term.Saakashvili has focused his campaign on increasing social welfare support. He has said the election has put at stake his plan to change Georgia into a country worthy of membership in NATO and the European Union.After voting in Tbilisi, Saakashvili-whose team has been accused of planning to rig the election-said he was dedicated to having it be free and fair."We are committed to having Georgia as a beacon of democracy in our part of the world," he said, with his Dutch-born wife and their two young sons at his side.He faces his toughest competition from Levan Gachechiladze, a member of parliament who represents an opposition coalition that wants to do away with the presidency. If a parliamentary system is established, as the coalition wants, Gachechiladze would step down.
"I am 43 years old and I never lie," he told supporters Thursday. "I will be gone. It's not a fight for me, for my presidency, it's a fight for democracy."At a central Tbilisi polling station Saturday morning. David Machavariani, 22, said he was voting for Gachechiladze because he wants to do away with the presidency."I want a strong prime minister and a strong government," Machavariani said.Niko Jialishvili, 52, said he was voting for Saakashvili."He has created jobs.He has raised salaries, pensions," Jialishvili, a taxi driver, said after casting his ballot. "There is light, there is gas, there is everything."Opposition leaders say their supporters are ready to return to the streets Sunday if the vote is not free and fair. However, the Tbilisi mayor's office turned down a request for permission to hold protests on the city's main avenue.After he voted, Gachechiladze said his supporters reporting numerous violations across the country. "We are ready to respond to all those violations," he said without elaborating.The opposition's plans to protest also have been undermined by a scandal that has discredited one of the leading candidates, billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili. He has admitted offering large sums of money to police if they side with protesters. Georgian authorities say he offered $100 million.Saakashvili's campaigners have been accused of improper use of government funds and voter intimidation by Transparency International.The OSCE observer mission said earlier that it had received apparently credible reports of abuses.Saakashvili's campaign chief, David Bakradze, said there may have been some individual violations, but that that should not be surprising given Georgia's lack of experience with competitive elections. He said he was certain observers would find the "overall climate was free and fair."During Saakashvili's time in office, he has cracked down on organized crime and corruption, modernized the police force and the army, restored steady supplies of electricity and gas and improved roads. The result has been economic growth of about 10 percent per year and a steady rise in foreign investment, but many complain the economic success has not yet benefited much of the population.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080105/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_presidential_election;_ylt=AsjRZiIElvhayEUIMc2Jglqs0NUE

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